Throughout all this week, Fox News Magazine will feature their "Tattoo Takeover," a special series in which the content on the site will focus on various aspects of tattoos, from artist spotlights to after care to some tattoo history and naturally pop culture today.

And naturally, I'm skeptical, just as I am when any major media outlet (especially Fox, which isn't tattoo friendly) tries to write about the "tattoo trend." On first glance, the typical fodder is all there: the tribalized promo, the celebrity tattoos, the word "tats," and a reality tattoo star, this time Megan Massacre.

However, there are some strong points that are giving me hope for this series. I love that they chose esteemed artist Mike Rubendall as one of their first artist features, which includes a Q&A and a good sample of his tattoo work. He's a great representative of the tattoo community and what the highest standard of tattooing is all about.

I didn't think that I would be a fan of the Guidelines For a Tattoo Virgin but they got Khani Zulu of Zulu Tattoo in LA to offer her advice and she lays it down in a way that gives a good picture of what someone new to tattoo can expect from the process.

As for the history section -- The Origin of Ink: Tattoos Through Time -- they couldn't have done any better than tattoo anthropologist Dr. Lars Krutak, the go-to source for tattoo history. Lars provides an accessible overview of the art, from tattooed mummies to indigenous cultures that still practice the tattoo traditions of their ancestors. I wish this section could've been longer, but consider it a cheat sheet or a jumping point to inspire people to find out more.

We'll be watching how the "Tattoo Takeover" progresses throughout the week, but so far, it's definitely worth a look.

Miles Golightly and Sasha Goldstein. Congrats! Miles and Sasha each won $25 gift certificates to UrbanBodyJewelry.com.

Even if you didn't win, check their huge selection of plugs in wood, stone, acrylic, bone, horn, silicone, and stainless steel. They are seriously affordable and they offer free shipping in the US for any order over $20.

More contests to come. And remember, all of you reading this are winners to me, you beautiful freaks!

On the Facebook page of the wonderful Loretta Leu, matriarch of the renowned Leu Family's Family Iron, I began seeing fantastic portraits of the Leu's and other artists as well as photography from events like the recent tattoo convention in Paris. So, I set out to find who was behind the lens of such engaging images so that I may share them with y'all.

The work is that of Switzerland-based photographer Bobby C. Alkabes. Bobby's work reflects an intimacy with her subjects, many of whom I know are not keen on having their photo taken but seem to be enjoying their shoot with her. She's also captured so many great moments in the tattoo world and beyond, which you can find in the Events section of her portfolio.

Bobby graciously permitted me to use these images above, including the action shot of a collabortive tattoo between Kurt Wiscombe & Filip Leu, shown above. Check more of her work on Facebook & on her site, where many of her prints are available for purchase.

If you're like me and always searching for the perfect font when writing threatening letters to your neighbors, the Creative Blog blog has the answer for you.

What better way express discontent when someone blocks your car in by putting a finely crafted note on the offender's windshield typed in "Los Angeles" font created by Vicky Mardian/VMF Font (shown below)?

Or printing out invites to your Games of Thrones viewing party set in the "Ink in the Meat" font by Billy Argel (shown above)?

We're gearing up for the NYC Tattoo Convention, May 17-19, at the Roseland Ballroom in the heart of Times Square. It remains one of our favorite shows because of the finely curated roster of international artists, the fantastic stage show performers, and because we get to see our traveling freakshow of friends who come into NYC specifically to be a part of this convention.

This will be my 13th year attending the show, and the first time I won't be working it for a long time, so I can run around, watch the amazing art work being created, shop(!), and yup, hang at the bar. You'll see us floating around Saturday and Sunday. I'll have N+S stickers, pins, and bear hugs.

Today is birthday (the 666th?) of the inimitable Paul Booth. For those new to the art, Paul has been tattooing his own brand of dark imagery, for almost 25 years, on faithful
minions seeking beauty through demons, satanic sirens and an alien fetus
or two.

He was crowned the "The new king of rock tattoos" by Rolling Stone Magazine in 2002 for his extensive work on metal bands including Slayer, Pantera, Slipknot, and Lamb of god. He's also the only tattoo artist to be accepted into the prestigious The National Arts Club. In fact, he has been a driving force behind fostering fine art endeavors among tattooists, particularly with the creation of "ArtFusion Experiment," which he co-founded with Filip and Titine Leu, to champion collaborative painting and drawing among tattoo artists worldwide.

Ten days ago, his Last Rites Tattoo Theater in NYC celebrated its 5-year anniversary with an art show featuring an exceptional roster of artists, including many tattooers. The show runs through May 18th. You can also view many of the works here.

In 2010, I interviewed Paul for Black & Grey Tattoo, in which his tattoo and fine art work are featured. Here's a taste of our Q&A:

You've been interviewed so many times by so many different people. Is there one overriding message that you really want to get across-about you personally-in any interview?

That's a big one to start with.

I'm sorry there's no foreplay here.

Foreplay is important... especially for women... or so I've read. [laughs]

Would you rather I begin with the usual, "How did you get your start in tattooing?"

Well, foreplay was involved there.

We can get back to that first question or hit it at the outset.

For me, it's always the misconceptions to address. I almost feel like a walking contradiction because there's a strong part of me that keeps a real I don't give a fuck attitude, I don't care what people think or say. But there's another side of me that gets frustrated with a human being's ability to believe without any validation. I'm amazed at the number of people in the world who follow rumor without any verification. They are perfectly fine with "Well, Joe Shmo told me that, so it's true."

What I have heard a lot of over the years is how negative my work is. People don't seem to understand that dark does not necessarily mean evil, baby eating, Satanism. [I always use "baby eating" because I keep hearing that one ever since I said it jokingly in an interview years ago!]
And here's where the contradiction comes in: As I have gotten older, I'm trying to debunk misconceptions, but I kinda like having the misconceptions.

The general public tends to think that the people who come to me for work are a bunch of deviant, social misfits looking for shock value. But for my clients, underneath all the initial surface shock or negative tones, ultimately there's a positive. Not everyone is here looking for some kind of therapy. There are some like myself who just want to freak out the old ladies in the grocery store. [And when you're able to freak out old ladies in the grocery store, you realize how empowering it is... as silly as that analogy may sound!] But a lot of people leave here feeling empowered for many reasons and I don't know how that could be negative in the end.
I've also heard people say that Paul Booth clients are a bunch of dark, self-harmers. However, if you're making them more beautiful and feel good about themselves, that's not self-harm.

A lot of my clientele, I relate to them on levels that are surprisingly deep. It's because we come from backgrounds where there's a greater degree of feeling like outcasts I suspect.

When I was in high school I was a punk rocker, the only punk rocker in school in suburban New Jersey--only Mohawk in the whole place. I'm walking around with blue and red hair, angry (yeah, like that's changed) and my appearance became my filter. If you had the depth of character to get past my appearance and find out who I am, then you're worth my time. I have no time for two-dimensional people. Today, my work reflects that as well. I don't think my work is usually appreciated by two-dimensional people... and that's fine by me!***For more on Paul, follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Every now and again there's a wave of articles on tattoos in the workplace, and here's how they all go: more people have tattoos so now there are more workers with tattoos who no longer want to cover them up. They cite the latest Harris Poll or Pew Research poll because statistics are sexy. And then they'll use words like "tats" or "inked up" simply to annoy me.

Oh, and then there are the comments from the masses! If you think tattoo discrimination no longer exists, read the comments section of any tattoo article around the world -- go ahead, I'll wait -- and see that there are multitudes of people with unblemished skin who are personally offended by yours. They say that don't want you serving them coffee or selling them panties. There's always some lower level manager who barks that he would never hire someone with tattoos, of course not knowing that his CEO probably has one. With the strong response to these articles -- which advertisers love because they can flash more products in your face while you're seething at Bob from Boise -- you'll find that the same reporting gets thrown out there.

Yesterday the NY Times published its own tattoos-at-work story. I expected it to be better than most, because it is the Times, but there were the usual cliches: "tattoos are no longer the sole province of gang members, garage mechanics ..." Ah mechanics! That's more clever than sailors and bikers. But the verbiage is almost always the same. Then the statistics follow. Then they call in the lawyers to comment on discrimination. Many times that's me, but our answers are usually all the same: Generally companies have a great deal of discretion in hiring and
enforcing their workplace appearance policies as long as they don't
discriminate on the basis of religion, sex, race, color, or national
origin under Title VII of the US Civil Rights Act.

The take-away from the NY Times article is that those in conservative offices are more likely to cover up than those in more creative fields. No will will gasp in disbelief at that. What would have meatier is to do some research on the public perception of tattoos, now that so many more people are covered, now there we are inundated with reality shows, now that Kat Von D is a best selling author. And then see how those perceptions affect people's wallets.

Internet comment trolls aside, are people who don't like tattoos not going to go to a restaurant or not buying a Starbucks coffee because some employees may have them? Does their cash follow their opinions on the art? In a number of cases it may. The Starbucks in a small religious town may feel backlash but it's not going to happen in my hood in Brooklyn. Perhaps having managers of different regions decide the policy would be a better option than a company-wide ban.

I do think companies that have a legitimate right to want to protect their brand image should be able to do so within the bounds of the law, but they should do so within the bounds of common sense. I've used this example before, but I do think that if I wanted to hire just heavily tattooed badass attorneys, I should be allowed to. If I want to reach a tattoo collector and artist clientele, having just tattooed attorneys conveys that we have a personal understanding the issues. And that may be total bullshit. You don't need a tattoo to provide effective legal services to a tattoo studio, but creating brand trust -- just like all luxury brands do -- has a greater reach to your target market.

Bottom line: We need to fight discrimination. We need to do so by gathering information to prove that the stereotypes are wrong. But we also need to balance that with legitimate rights of people and companies to do business the way they want. There needs to be corporate responsibility but also personal responsibility for our decisions. There needs to be a balance.

Many of you know that I'm a huge fan of blogger/author/all-around-awesome-human-being Jinxi Boo Caddel for a myriad of reasons, many of which I've written about here before. Well, here's another reason: her Inspiration Art Project Series, beautiful hardcover publications designed to do exactly what the name says -- inspire exciting interpretations of particular themes by presenting a finely curated ensemble of art in different mediums focused on those themes.

Eight Arms of Inspiration: The Octopus Art Project book, which Jinxi co-published with Memento Publishing, is a perfect example of this. In the book's 336 pages, the octopus is interpreted by 440 artists of different disciplines and genres in nearly 1,000 different ways, including tattoos, photos, graffiti, jewelry, cake art, glasswork, pottery, poetry and so much more. If you're looking for reference for your next eight-armed cephalopod tattoo, this book is a must-have especially.

The next incarnation of the Inspiration Art Project series will be entomology and insects, and Jinxi is looking for your bug art, also in all different kinds of mediums as long as the artwork focuses on insects, arachnids, or snails, -- and it should be some kickass work. [For the Eight Arms book, they had close to 1,900 images submitted, so naturally not everyone makes the cut.] The deadline for submission is June 3, 2013. More info here. A bird-inspired book is schedule for 2014.

Here's the best part of this project: a percentage of the proceeds of all book sales through Jinxi's Out of Step Books goes to Donorschoose.org in an effort to keep arts education alive and thriving. So far, donations have gone to 23 art classrooms in need, and donations will continue with the new insect book. There are also art prints for purchase, and all the proceeds from those sales go to Donorschoose.org. See why I'm such a huge fan of hers?!

In an age when anyone can grab a starter tattoo kit on Amazon and eBay and start drilling, those old prison-style DIY machines still hold some magic. The ingenuity of taking found objects and creating a working instrument that creates art -- and the prison culture from which that ingenuity was born -- has inspired Goof Vermeulen, a production designer and art director in Amsterdam. He's created jailhouse tattoo "guns" -- in the same manner as they're fashioned in prison -- as works of art. A number of them also come in hand-made boxes and ink.

You find them here on Etsy for sale. And check more images on his Facebook page. As he says on his Esty page, the machines, although workable, are not meant to be used on skin but simply to be displayed as art. The online retailers already have the tattoo machine market covered for scratchers.

More and more I'm seeing tattoo interpretations of woodcuts, etchings and engravings -- and I'm loving them. They are highly graphic tattoos that will stand the test of time, and they have a truly old school power to them with a modern styling.

They also are producing a video series called "The Craftsman," which highlights "talented and upcoming tattoo artists from around the globe." Their first video features Kim. It's embedded below. Check it.

We figured it was time to jump on the pin-board photo sharing site because it really is a great vehicle for collecting tattoo inspiration images and highlighting the work of many different artists in a cool collage way. As noted on Wikipedia, the website "allows users to create and manage theme-based image
collections such as events, interests and hobbies. Users can browse
other pinboards for images, 're-pin' images to their own pinboards, or
'like' photos."

On our tattoo board, we'll be sharing our own tattoo photos and those artists featured on the blog, but we'll also be repinning images of beautiful tattoo work found elsewhere. Most important -- and unlike many other tattoo boards -- we'll be making sure the artist credit is in every pin so you can explore more of his/her work.

I've been a long-time fan of Jondix's work -- a remarkable portfolio of intricate dotwork & blackwork, an example of which I've shown below. In his tattoos, you'll find his own interpretation of Eastern iconography and patterns -- and his spiritual and mystical influences are ever present in this exhibit as well.

Entitled Aeons Tulpa, this print and sculpture installation is inspired by Jondix's extensive travels and is described as "a metaphysical exploration of the artist's interior world." Here's more from Raking Light Projects:

The installation configuration, influenced by cosmology, represents Jondix's metaphysical being. Nine prints are arranged in rows and columns of three to create the shape of a square, with the tenth print displayed off to the side. Central to the installation is the idea of energy and connection, where each of the ten laser-etched prints are not only physically connected by string but also spiritually connected to the artist. The iconography is a confluence of motifs with Jondix's signature mystical imagery and Eastern-influenced patterning. His visual lexicon borrows from Eastern philosophies and incorporates auspicious symbols, deities and ritualistic objects combined with allusions to personal fantasy and science fiction.

Jondix offers his own thoughts on his process for the show:

When you go into deep meditation, Vipassana or transcendental, you enter all the hidden parts of your mind. . . your body secretes endogenously produced drugs and you can have visions. When I was creating this series, I put myself in that position--trying to create something that will come to my mind in the future--and serendipitously I found my favorite place.

Aeons Tulpa will be on view at the Against the Stream gallery for a year. Saturday's opening will take place from 7pm-10pm.

For more on Raking Light Projects, and their art prints created by renowned tattooists, check our post on them here.

Our talk and visual presentation center around how women's tattooing relates to sexuality, fashion, fine art, and feminism. These themes are wonderfully explored in Margot's absolute must-have book, Bodies of Subversion: A Secret History of Women and Tattoo. [For more info, check my review of the book's latest edition and interview with Margot in this post.] These themes have also been explored on this blog, particularly in the context of sex and beauty. On Saturday, we'll spend an hour chatting about everything from the reclamation of one's body, tattooed women stereotypes, the rise of the tattoo model as career choice, women tattooers of yesterday & today, and much more.

And we really want to hear your opinions as well, so all those attending are encouraged to participate in the discussion. I also encourage everyone to share your thoughts on women and tattoo culture in the link to this post in our FB group page, or Tweet at me.

What do you think about the representation of tattooed women in mass media and our own industry media?

How do you define beauty through tattoos?

Have you ever used tattooing as a form of reclamation of your body -- either tattooing over scars, getting tattoos to empower yourself after a trauma, covering up a gang tattoo or mark that you felt was never your own...?

How does your race & ethnicity play into reactions to your tattoos?

Do you feel that tattooed women are hypersexualized more so today?

Do women tattooers still face obstacles to entering and advancing in the craft?

Feel free to raise other issues. Would love to hear from you. And would love to see you Saturday!

TONIGHT is the nation-wide premiere of one of the more important documentaries in our community: "Tattoo Nation." While I've already written about it extensively here, I just wanted to send a reminder to those of you near the over 100+ theaters showing the film.

Check the full list of cities and locations on www.Dandeentertainment.com. As I noted earlier, this is a limited two-day engagement in most cities, so try and get there tonight.

I'll be at the AMC Empire 25 theater at 234 West 42nd St. by Times Square at 8pm. It seems that the theater won't be handing me a mic for any Q&A as planned, but look for the tattooed redhead afterward for post-theater drinks at a local dive to discuss the film.

If you can't make it to the film tonight, check the trailer above and additional videos and photos on the Tattoo Nation Facebook page. You can also follow them on Twitter @TheTattooNation and me on @Needlesandsins.

Over the past few years, when I'd interview tattooers, many--if not most--would decry "the scourge" of reality TV in the tattoo world. I've done it myself. But recently, the cries have become more muffled, even muted.

It could be a shoulder shrugging "if you can't beat them, join them" mentality. It could be that a lot of our friends are on the shows. It could even be that the shows have gotten a bit better. For me, it's all three.

The shows are here to stay. My non-tattooed neighbors watch them. My dentist watches them. My mother watches them. Polite dinner party conversation has moved from Nathan Lane on Broadway to Ami James on NY Ink.

And so, considering the vast audience these shows have, perhaps it's time to help shape them and offer a better representation of tattooing, through constructive critique and support of strong artists featured.

Which brings me to the second season of Best Ink, premiering tonight, April 3rd, at 10PM ET/PT on the Oxygen network.

For those who may have missed the first season, Best Ink is one of the tattoo competition shows in which twelve tattooers compete in different art and tattoo challenges to be the last one standing, winning $100K and a feature in Tattoo magazine.

I got a preview of the show and jotted down my Top 5 Pros and Cons based on the first episode. Here they are:

My
personal favorite new addition to this season is judge Hannah
Aitchison. I'm a huge fan of Hannah's work and was insanely jazzed that
she agreed to take on the role of the third permanent judge this season.
I think that she added an educated, almost 'teacher' approach to the
judging that Sabina and I sometimes lacked in the past season.

CON:
Hannah's got a lot of teaching to do, as many of the tattooers are
young, with only a few years in the industry under their spiked belts.

PRO: Pete Wentz replaced Kimberly Caldwell as the show's host. Pete actually has more than one tattoo! He appears cool and comfortable on the set, and more of an insider than an American Idol contestant hanging with the cool kids.

CON: I have no cons about Pete at this moment. He's just too cute.

PRO: There's a lot more discussion on the design process and what the judges are looking for to create a solid tattoo. It's more educative to the general public, and hopefully, will lead to more educated clients.

CON:There's a lot more discussion on the design process, and what the judges are looking for to create a solid tattoo. And this will likely lead to more people thinking they know how to tattoo by just watching a TV show.

PRO: Joe will make contestants cry.

CON: Contestants do stupid things that makes Joe make them cry.

PRO: The tattoo clients--or "Skins"--bring the drama. It's a "pro" if you like that kind of thing. Joe thinks it adds to this season, explaining:

There will be a bit more emphasis on the "Skins" (tattoo clients) story this season, which is really cool. Some of these folks have really heartfelt and interesting stories. The show also does quite a bit of background on the artists themselves. My hat goes off to these guys for stepping up to the challenge of the skins' sometimes crazy requests, as well as the Flash and Ink Challenges.

CON: Not every tattoo has to have a story. The public should also be aware that many of us get tattooed simply because we just like the way it looks. Alas, that doesn't make for a compelling show for the masses.

So, how can we make it more compelling for us?

Best Ink Bingo [And/Or Drinking Game].

I made this simple, sample card below, which you can remix if playing against others. Every time the scene noted in the card plays out on the show, mark an X and take a drink. When you get five across, vertical, or diagonal, finish the bottle. Caveat: based on the choices, you'll be hurting in the morning. [For non-drinkers, take a sip from a frosty protein shake.] You can download a slightly bigger bingo card here on Flickr.

My favorite tattoo April Fool was the moodINQ: Programmable Tattoo System by ThinkGeek -- a scientific breakthrough in tattoo ink that lets you change your tattoos to fit your mood. If you read the comments to the April Fool post, you'll see that most people were more concerned with my repeated use of the word "tats" (also a joke), than the lack of commitment.

And there have been a host of others: the Tattoos4Toddlers hoax in 2003 -- a supposed tattoo shop created for kids -- got people's diapers in a bunch before they realized that some "wacky DJs" had concocted it for their morning show.

Even National Public Radio got in on the action in 1994, on their All Things Considered show, and reported
that teenagers who got the logos of companies, like Pepsi, tattooed on their bodies would receive a lifetime 10% discount on
that company's products.